Karaoke
by Sigma Creations
Summary: Two-shot set near the end of S3. Danny's birthday celebration has unexpected consequences for at least two members of the team. Inspired by a certain photo, this was a lot of fun to write and should definitely not be taken too seriously. All characters borrowed from Kudos for a little bit. Enjoy and please review.
1. Chapter 1

**Set sometime toward the end of S3, this fic is a result of a challenge by TheChicaChic and a photo of Peter Firth at ****The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (2012) ****shared by Wendy (image number 2) on PeterFirthFans****. com . I'm l****eaving this as T-rated though it almost strays into M-rated territory on occasion. Thanks once again to my betas TheChicaChic, NatesDate and r4ven3 and to all of you for reading. Please review if you have a moment. Cheers, S.C.**

* * *

It's the end of a long day and he's tired. He enters the building and goes straight to the bar to order a drink, observing the other patrons as he waits and spotting his team over in the corner of the room. After paying for his whisky, he picks his way through the crowded bar towards the table occupied by Malcolm, Colin and Adam.

"Harry!" Adam exclaims. "Glad you made it."

Before he can reply, however, Fiona steps up to her husband, grabs Adam's hand and pulls him to his feet and towards the dance floor, saying, "Hi, Harry. Sorry, but he promised me this dance."

He nods, envying Adam his luck for a moment, and turns towards the table, taking a seat at the edge of the booth. Malcolm and Colin are sitting near the centre of the bench and they greet him cheerfully before turning back to their conversation about something technical that his brain is unwilling to even attempt to grasp at this time of night.

All the other members of his team appear to be on the dance floor enjoying themselves. He spots Sam laughing with Zoe as they dance rather exuberantly, and a little to their left he finds Fiona and Adam moving with a little more finesse. They all appear to be having fun and to be quite inebriated, something that doesn't surprise him at such a late hour. He looks about for Danny, sure that he'll be here as it's his birthday celebration after all, and eventually he spots him on the other side of the dance floor dancing with Ruth. He watches the pair, his eyes lingering on her for several moments until he realises he's staring and quickly looks away.

He's been catching himself watching her more and more frequently lately, and he can't deny now that he feels a strong sexual attraction towards her. He's often thought about how they would feel together, what she would be like when aroused by passion, and what it would feel like to be inside her, and he knows he needs to stop thinking like that. Apart from the fact that he's her commanding officer and thinking of her in this way is inappropriate, it'll only lead to him becoming frustrated and losing sleep over it. He suspects, though he can't be sure, that she's also far from indifferent to him, and it is that knowledge that's making her more irresistible with each passing week. He needs to find a lover, he decides. It's because he's between relationships that he's having these inappropriate thoughts about Ruth.

Zoe and Sam return to the table just then, chatting and laughing away about something he's sure he doesn't want to know about.

"Time for karaoke, I think," Sam declares. "Hello, Harry," she adds as she spots him. "How was the meeting?"

"Dull as ditch water," he grumbles.

"You'll be all right once you get a few whiskys in you, Harry," Adam comments as he reaches for his pint, taking a large gulp of bitter.

"Fiona," Sam interrupts, "karaoke?"

"Absolutely," Fiona smiles. "Adam?"

"No," he shakes his head.

"Wimp," Fiona teases.

"No, no," Zoe objects. "Just the girls."

"Okay, I'll get Ruth," Sam declares.

* * *

Ruth's having the time of her life. She hasn't had this much fun since university, she realises. She's had too much to drink of course, or she wouldn't be on the little stage in the corner, singing with the rest of the girls. They've just finished 'Don't stop believing', and Sam's just choosing the next song. The first notes of 'Girls just want to have fun' begin to play and she almost groans out loud. Trust Sam to pick that one! But once the others start singing, she can't help joining in. She loves the camaraderie that exists between them all. She's never had it before. GCHQ was rather snobbish and she never really fit in; too many bloody mathematicians.

The song finishes and they're pushed off stage by Danny and Adam, who've decided that the men of D Section shouldn't be outdone, and surprisingly, they've even managed to cajole Colin into joining them.

"You're not joining them, Harry?" Zoe asks as they make their way back to the table to get a drink.

"I wouldn't want to put them to shame by comparison," he replies dryly.

Ruth giggles and then blushes as he turns his eyes to look at her, a warm, sensual smile on his lips. She feels her heart begin to race and quickly looks away, following the other women towards the stage and stopping to watch the men sing 'It's my life'. Lately, she's finding it hard to control this crush she has on Harry, and she has to admit that it's beginning to get serious. Hardly a moment goes by now when she doesn't think of him, and she frequently catches herself watching him at work, imagining having whole conversations with him about anything and everything, or fantasizing about kissing those wonderfully pouty, sexy lips of his.

"Danny's got a pretty good voice," she comments after a bit, trying to shift her mind onto something other than Harry Pearce. She has to practically yell to be heard above the music.

"So do you," Fiona smiles. "You two should sing a duet."

"Oh, God, no," she shakes her head.

"That's a brilliant idea, Fiona," Sam smiles. "Go no, Ruth. You have a lovely voice."

"No, really," she insists.

Then before Fiona and Sam can press her any further, Zoe interrupts. "Oh, no, they're not! They're not singing 'The final countdown', are they?"

"I'm afraid so," Fiona grins and they all burst out laughing.

"Still," Ruth smiles, "at least it isn't 'Living la vida loca'."

"Or 'Wake me up before you go-go'," Zoe adds.

"Oh, yes!" Sam smiles enthusiastically. "That's the one we'll do next."

"No!" the other three exclaim almost simultaneously.

"Come on," Sam insists. "It'll be a laugh."

"Where's Adam going?" Zoe asks as much to distract Sam as out of curiosity, and they all turn to watch him rush past them and their table, handing Harry his microphone and dashing out of the room towards the loos. Harry looks a little surprised, but he quickly recovers and turns back to watching Danny and Colin as do the others. Ruth's eyes linger on him a moment longer before she determinedly looks away. If she's not careful, he'll notice... as will everyone else, and the last thing she needs is for everyone to realise that she's in love with him. _'Wait a moment!' _she thinks in alarm, _'In love with Harry? Oh, dear God, what's she going to do now?!'_

"Look at Harry!" Fiona exclaims suddenly and they all turn to look at him.

"What?" Zoe asks.

"That microphone," she giggles. "The way he's holding it. It looks like-"

"Agh!" Sam exclaims. "_Fiona!_ I do _not_ want that image in my head."

Zoe bursts out laughing and murmurs, "Who's got a phone on them?"

"I do. Why?" Ruth replies distractedly, still staring at Harry and the suggestive way he's holding the microphone, his arms resting on his thighs as he leans back in his seat, his hands loosely clasped round the mic, holding it upright near his crotch.

"Give it here," Zoe says urgently and she complies before she realises what Zoe wants it for.

"No!" she hisses as Zoe takes the picture.

"Why not?" Zoe grins.

"Give it back," she demands. "You can't do that. He's our boss." She snatches the phone back before Zoe can do something stupid, like email it to everyone.

"Come on, they've finished," Sam demands, interrupting Zoe's protests and attempts to get the phone back. "Let's get back on stage."

Pleased to have a distraction, Ruth leads the way while Fiona approaches Harry and takes the microphone on their way up. Sam chooses the music yet again, and much to the dismay of the rest of them, 'Wake me up before you go-go' begins to play. Once they start singing, however, they have fun regardless.

* * *

He can't help himself any more, he's staring again, watching her singing 'It's raining men' along with the rest of the women of his section. Adam, Danny and Will North, who appeared a few minutes ago, are up on stage now, dancing with Fiona, Sam and Zoe. Ruth is the only one who's unaccompanied and he finds himself desperately wishing that he could just get up and go to her. He watches as another man, a stranger, tall, blond, young, handsome, strong, gets up on stage and begins to dance with her, and he feels jealousy flare up inside him. Ruth appears to be enjoying the attention, and he finds himself almost unable to watch... Moments later, however, he's glad he didn't look away when they all sing, "So that each and every woman could find the perfect guyyyyy," and she turns and looks right at him.

Her gaze is bold as she holds his hostage for several seconds, until the man she's dancing with moves between them, blocking her from view. His breathing is shallow and his heart is beating fast as he returns his gaze to his drink and picks it up, draining the glass. And in that moment, he realises that he can't fight it any more, he doesn't want to... he just wants Ruth.

By the time he looks up again, she's moved off the little stage and is rounding the corner towards the bathrooms with Sam. He waits for her to reappear, working out what he should do, what he should say when he sees her. He'll ask her to dinner, he decides.

"Not going to join them at all then, Harry?" Malcolm asks, nodding at the stage where Adam, Danny, Will and Colin are getting ready to sing again.

He shakes his head and gives him a wry smile as he replies, "Not really my scene, Malcolm."

"No," he sighs. "Mine neither. I'm thinking of calling it a night."

Harry nods as he watches Sam re-emerge from the hallway to the bathrooms without Ruth. He frowns slightly in concern, but is forced to turn his attention back to Malcolm as he says, "The funny thing is that this kind of thing has never been something I've enjoyed, not even in my youth."

"Not even for the women, Malcolm?" he teases lightly.

"They're the wrong kind of women, Harry," he smiles.

"I know what you mean," he murmurs as his eyes scan the room for Ruth once more. Concern starts to eat away at his gut suddenly, and after years of working in the field, he knows better than to ignore that feeling, so he gets up and excuses himself to go to the bathroom.

He walks down the dim corridor towards the loos, passing several snogging couples. The music isn't as loud here, and as he nears the ladies, he hears her voice coming from the hallway just beyond the bathroom. "Stop," she demands very clearly and he moves swiftly, shifting his weight onto the balls of his feet, his hands raising at the ready as he moves past the bathroom doors and rounds the corner. It's the big, blond bloke she was dancing with and he has her pinned up against the wall, kissing her.

For a split second, he thinks that she's enjoying it, that she wants this and his heart plummets. But moments later, the man pulls back with an exclamation of surprise and growls, "You bit me! You bitch!" He raises his hand to strike her, but Harry's too quick for him. Moving at a speed that surprises even him, he grabs the raised hand and twists it sharply behind the man's back, taking him by surprise as his feet propel them both towards the wall straight in front of him and to the man's left. He slams the bastard hard against the wall and hears him grunt in pain as his shoulder takes the brunt of the force. Then he swiftly delivers two jabs against his side into his right kidney before hissing in his ear, "She said stop, you miserable piece of shit."

He feels the rage course through him, but he's not even aware of being out of control until he hears her voice saying softly, "Stop! Please, stop." He's already pulled his arm back to take another swing at the bastard, having already blackened his right eye, when her hands grasp his bicep, pulling insistingly against him. For a split second, he thinks that perhaps he's misread the situation, that she was enjoying it after all, but as he turns to look into her eyes and she murmurs softly, "He's not worth it," he realises that she's worried about him, not the other man. She doesn't want him to get into trouble for attacking a civilian.

"Come," she says softly and pulls him away, leading him by the hand through the fire exit to their right and out into the alley that runs behind the bar. They reach the corner of the street and she turns to face him, looking up into his eyes and whispering softly, "Thank you, Harry." Then to his immense surprise and relief, she reaches up and presses her lips against his. He responds swiftly, wrapping her in his arms and cradling her close, deepening the kiss he's craved for so long, feeling her abandon and open herself to him.

He has no idea how long they continue like this, their mouths fused together, his arms wrapped around her, pressing her against him, his hips pushing forward against hers, her hands under his jacket, nails scraping over his shirt. Dimly he hears the door of the bar several feet behind them open, and he feels her freeze and pull back a little. "Harry?" Adam's voice calls. "Are you out here?"

He watches as her eyes widen in surprise and fear even as he can still clearly see the desire in their depths. Then she pulls quickly away and turns round the corner, and he watches her go with regret for a moment before sighing and turning to face his officer. "What?" he demands in irritation.

"Sorry," Adam smirks, "I didn't realise you'd pulled. Who was she?"

"A delightful and rather grateful creature," he sighs.

"So it _was_ you who attacked that bloke then?" he replies. "I thought it sounded like you. What happened?"

"He didn't stop when she asked him to," he shrugs.

"Well," Adam nods, "he's in there now making a fuss about being attacked by someone who was trying to mug him, or some such tripe. So I just came out to warn you not to go back in."

"Like hell I won't," Harry growls as his anger flares up again and he attempts to step round Adam and re-enter the building.

"Harry, wait," Adam objects, laying a restraining hand on his arm. "He's beaten up pretty badly. You must have really laid into him." Harry glares at him, so he quickly adds, "Oh, I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, but there's nothing else you can do right now. If they find out who you are, he could press charges and that wouldn't be good. Not for you, and not for the Service. Let it go. We're all moving on to a club anyway." He pauses for a moment and then asks, "By the way, have you seen, Ruth? No one can find her."

"Perhaps she went home," he suggests with a frown.

"Without telling anyone and without her coat?" Adam replies. "Unlikely. I'll go back in and find her. You'd best meet us up front."

"Right," he nods and makes his way towards the front of the building. '_Bloody Adam and his awful timing,'_ he fumes.


	2. Chapter 2

She sneaks back into the bar through the front, slipping round the edges of the room until she finds Sam and Zoe. "Hi," she smiles, "are we leaving?"

"Ruth!" Zoe says in surprise. "Where have you been? We've been looking for you. We're all leaving."

"That bloke, David, wasn't it?" Sam says eagerly. "The one I left you with. He was beaten up pretty badly. You should see his face. It didn't have something to do with you, did it?"

"No," she replies, looking suitably surprised, "There was something off about him, so I excused myself pretty quickly after you left and... well... I met this _really_ nice guy..."

"Really?" Zoe smiles. "Do tell."

"He seems lovely," she replies. "He's tall and good looking, and I discovered he sings in a choir!"

"A match made in heaven then," Sam quips. "I hope you got his number."

"No," she shakes her head, "but I gave him mine."

"Well, let's hope he'll ring," Zoe replies.

"We found her," Sam calls out suddenly to someone behind them and Ruth turns to see Danny and Will moving towards them. Danny hands her her coat, so she thanks him and slips it on before they make their way out into the street. A few minutes later, they've all managed to find each other, and several of the others ask her where she's been, but she evades the question and diverts their attention by asking where they're going. Malcolm declares that he's going home, while the rest debate on what club they're going to hit. They eventually settle on one quite near Ruth's place, so she agrees to tag along, unable to face their attempts to change her mind if she decides to go home. She's still quivering inside as a result of the kiss and all she wants to do is repeat it, again and again, forever. '_God, who knew Harry Pearce could kiss like that?!' _she thinks dreamily. _'A lot of women, Ruth,'_ she attempts to remind herself, '_and you don't want to be another notch on his bedpost.'_ But the part of her that's lost in a daydream objects, '_If he's as good in bed as he is at kissing...like hell I don't!'_

The man who's occupying her thoughts is standing off to one side surreptitiously watching her. She can feel his eyes on her and she can't help raising her own to meet them. The intensity of his gaze, however, is not something she can deal with right now, so she swiftly looks down.

"What about you, Harry? Are you joining us?" Adam asks.

"No," she hears him reply and she can't make up her mind it she's disappointed or relieved. "I'm going home, and you, Mr. Carter, are in charge of making sure everyone gets home at a reasonable hour tonight. I'm not having my entire team working at less than fifty percent capacity tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir," Adam salutes and bundles his wife into the taxi that's just arrived. Zoe and Will follow them in, leaving Ruth, Sam and Danny to share the next one, and Harry and Malcolm to get the third.

Danny helps Sam into the cab, both of them giggling like teenagers, but before Ruth can follow them in, Harry steps up to her and offers her his hand in assistance. "Goodnight, Ruth," he murmurs softly in her ear as he helps her into the black cab. "I'd like to call on you later... if I may. There are things to say..."

She's stopped breathing for a moment and only manages to recover after he squeezes her hand gently, bringing her back to herself. "I'd like that," she breaths and watches the sparkle of delight appear in his eyes.

"One o'clock," he murmurs and steps back, closing the door before turning swiftly towards the other cab and getting in.

On the way to the club, she's very grateful that she's suddenly the gooseberry as Danny and Sam appear to have noticed nothing odd in her behaviour and she can just sit back and think about Harry. _'Are you mad?'_ she asks herself. _'A night-time tête-à-tête with Harry, your boss, the sexiest man alive, the one who gives you butterflies just by looking at you, the one you fantasize about every night, the one who can kiss like the devil... all right,'_ she concedes, _'you might have a point; you're not mad.'_

She pulls out her phone and opens the picture Zoe had taken, staring at it for some time. It wasn't until she'd seen him holding that microphone, until Fiona had pointed it out, that she'd considered what he would look like when erect, what it would be like to touch him, feel him inside her. It was rather silly of her really to not have thought about it before. She'd thought about kissing him; she'd thought about that a lot, standing wrapped in his arms and snogging him like there was no tomorrow, but her fantasies had never moved beyond that. Not until now, until she'd seen that microphone in his hands, so suggestive, so enticing...

* * *

It's past one and she's not home yet. He wonders if she's changed her mind, wonders if some harm has befallen her, wonders if she's... And then she's there, searching for him in the shadows, hoping he'll be there. He steps forward into the light and she smiles a little nervously, inclining her head in invitation before she quickly makes her way to her front door, unlocking it and holding it open for him. He slips past her into the hallway, wanting to touch her, to kiss her, but he holds back until they step through the door of her flat and she closes it behind them. Then he moves close, his hands resting gently on her arms as he slowly lowers his mouth to hers and kisses her softly.

She responds at once and he's slightly dazed by the intensity of her passion. Never in a million years had he imagined it would be this good, she would be this hot. He groans as they begin to impatiently peel away each other's coats, their fingers slipping swiftly below their garments, seeking out warm skin. She sighs into his mouth and he suddenly realises that they haven't said a word to each other and they're already moving further into the house, fingers working on buttons, nails scraping against bare skin, lips fused together.

He can't do it like this. It's not fair; it's not right.

He pulls back, holding her gently with his hands on her upper arms as he searches her gaze. She wants him, he can see it clearly in her eyes, but she also looks nervous and insecure, and somehow he knows that, if he does the gentlemanly thing and says that they don't have to do this now, she'll take it as a rejection and he may never get this opportunity again. He doesn't want to hurt her, and if he's honest, he_ does_ want to do this now. He wants her desperately. So instead, he seeks to reassure her that she's special, that he wants more than just sex from her. "I want you to know," he murmurs huskily, "that I've wanted to do this for a very, _very_ long time, and that this is not going to be a one-night-stand. I want this to be much, much more than that... if it's what you want too."

"Yes," she breaths, the smile that appears on her lips transforming her face.

"Good," he murmurs and pulls her back into his arms, pressing his lips against hers and letting himself get lost in her. Once they make it to her bed and their bodies join for the first time, he knows with sudden clarity that this remarkable, brilliant, beautiful, and passionate woman has captured his heart so completely that he will never feel whole again unless he always has her by his side. He knows it's too soon to tell her, that he mustn't scare her away, but as he watches her face and hears her moan his name when she tumbles over, he can't help himself. So he buries his face into her shoulder so she cannot hear his words and whispers his love for her against her skin just before he comes with a muffled groan, moaning her name in exquisite bliss.

* * *

He's sleeping, his face peaceful and relaxed. He looks so different, younger and so much more open compared to the Harry she sees at work every day. She can't quite believe that he's here. Harry Pearce, boss spook naked in her bed. She wonders if she's dreaming, but the delightfully relaxed and sated state of her body tells her otherwise, not to mention the fact that she can still feel the imprint of him deep insider her. She finds herself wishing that she could carry it with her always as a reminder of this night because, no matter what he'd said before, she's not quite convinced that he'll want to do this again. '_Why not'_, her inner voice objects strongly. '_The sex was rather spectacular after all.'_ She smiles at the thought.

He'd been so sweet last night, or very early this morning rather. First he'd come to her rescue and she'd felt so grateful that she hadn't been able to stop herself from acting on the desire she's had for so long to kiss him. When he'd responded to the kiss with so much passion, she'd been surprised and more than a little dazed, especially when he'd turned out to be so amazingly good at it. Then Adam had interrupted and she'd panicked, but he'd sought her out to ask permission to see her again, and she found herself unable to deny it, knowing that somehow tonight the stars had aligned for them and she might never get this opportunity again. When they'd come together without a word, she'd been lost in a whirlwind of sensations and emotions, but he'd very sweetly pulled back, wishing to reassure her, and it had worked wonderfully. She'd been able to utterly lose herself in their passion, something she's not sure she'd have been able to do as easily without hearing those words, but now, in the cold, almost light of pre-dawn, she's no longer sure that he'd meant it. _Could Harry Pearce, such a sexy, powerful, and important man, really be interested in a relationship with her, bookish, plain Ruth?_

His eyelashes flutter a little and she finds herself holding her breath, hoping that he's not waking up. She doesn't want him to catch her watching him, and as she's propped herself on her elbow, she can hardly pretend to be sleeping. He doesn't stir further, however, and she's able to breath again. Perhaps she should lie down, she thinks, but as she's about to follow through with the thought, she hears him murmur softly, "I can feel you watching me, Ruth." Then his eyes slide open and a small, smug smile appears on his lips. She blushes at being found out, but she's unable to look away from his mesmerizing, hazel eyes. "I've noticed you have a tendency to watch me," he smiles.

"So do you," she counters boldly even as her blush deepens.

"Ah," he grins, "but with good reason. You are a remarkably beautiful woman, Ruth, and your eyes are absolutely stunning, ever changing in colour like the sea. But me? I'm just a balding, demanding, grumpy, old man. So you can see why I'm puzzled."

"You're not old," she objects.

He raises his eyebrows at her. "So I'm just balding, demanding and grumpy then, am I?"

"Only some of the time," she smiles.

"Hmmm," he hums, and leans closer, adding in a low rumble, "And the rest of the time?"

"The rest of the time," she whispers and almost loses her train of thought as he leans over her, causing her to fall back against the pillows.

"Yes?" he growls.

"You're... devastating," she breaths.

"Devastating?" he smiles, "Devastating in what way?"

"Take your pick," she murmurs. "Devastatingly handsome, devastatingly sexy, devastatingly seductive-" She stops speaking as his lips capture hers in a slow, luxurious kiss, that she's sure lasts for aeons, and by the time, he pulls back, her mind has turned completely to mush and her body's tingling all over.

"My God, Ruth," he murmurs softly, "What have you done to me? I can't get enough of you." Then he leans forward once more and begins to make love to her, playing her like a master violinist until she explodes in a symphony of dazzling, shimmering, kaleidoscopic stars.

* * *

He watches her dozing next to him, her face turned up towards him, her hand resting over his heart as he toys with a few strands of her hair. She's even more beautiful in the early morning light and her face is practically glowing from their love making. He drinks her in with his eyes, storing away every detail of this precious moment in his memory to be recalled later when he's alone and missing her because, he knows, he'll miss her whenever she's far from his side for long.

He lifts his hand to stroke her cheek, making her moan softly in pleasure and open her eyes to look at him. They're a deeper shade of blue this morning and he has to bite his tongue to stop himself from saying the three little words that fill his heart and mind in that moment. _It's too soon, Harry,_ he tells himself.

"Hello," she smiles lazily.

"Hi," he grins. "Sleep well?"

"Mmmmm," she hums. "Delicious."

"Delicious?" he asks, surprised by her choice of words.

"I feel delicious," she sighs.

"Mmmm," he agrees, "and you look delicious too. Good enough to eat." He leans forward and kisses her softly, indulging in the sheer pleasure of feeling her lips against his.

"Harry," she smiles shyly when he pulls back, "what you said... last night... well, early this morning really..." She tails off and drops her gaze to his chest where her hand rests over his heart.

"You'll have to be more specific, Ruth," he murmurs, although he already has an inkling as to what she's talking about.

"About this... us," she attempts to explain but tails off and begins to draw patterns across his skin absent-mindedly.

"About wanting this to last longer than one night?" he asks softly, deciding to help her out, and sees her nod. "What about it? Don't you want that any more?"

"No!" she exclaims in alarm as her eyes snap to his, "I do. Of course I do... I just thought that maybe..."

"Oh Ruth," he sighs. "Do you really think that little of me? Do you really believe that I would seduce the best analyst I've ever had for one night of passion and then dump her, just like that, jeopardising our working relationship for a moment of physical pleasure?"

"I... no, I suppose not," she frowns.

"Well, then," he murmurs. "You know how highly I think of you, Ruth. You're exceptional and my... desire for you has never been purely physical. I care for you very deeply. When I came here last night, I wasn't planning any of this. I was actually just going to ask you out to dinner, but then-"

"We couldn't keep our hands off each other," she interrupts with a smile.

"Yes," he agrees, "and it was spectacular. I think it's safe to say that this would have happened months, if not years, ago had I known how incredible we would be together. But as wonderful as this is, Ruth, it's not all I want. I'd still like to take you out. I'd like to date you... properly... if you'd like that too."

"I would," she smiles. "I'd like that very much."

"Good," he grins. "Is tonight too soon? There's this place I know that I think you'd like."

"Tonight would be lovely," she agrees, but then she frowns and drops her gaze to her hand and it's never ceasing movement across his chest.

"What have you thought of now, Ruth?" he almost sighs. He watches as her eyes rise to meet his and smiles at the sheepish look on her face.

"I was just thinking about Adam," she admits, "and how he almost caught us... kissing."

"I can be discrete, Ruth," he reassures her. "I'm a spook, remember?"

"But so are they, and if they find out, the gossip will be horrendous. I'd never be able to look any of them in the eye again," she replies, frowning in distress. "They'll all think that I'm sleeping with you to get ahead and I couldn't bear to be thought of like that. I couldn't bear it if they were laughing at me."

"I think it's much more likely that they'd be laughing at me, Ruth," he smiles. She glances up at him in surprise, so he explains, "Chasing after a beautiful, much younger woman. Quite cliché, don't you think?"

"I suppose," she frowns, "but I'm not really that beautiful, Harry."

"Nonsense," he scoffs, and when she shakes her head at him, he adds, "_I _think you're beautiful, Ruth, and I will not debate this with you. After all, just a little while ago, you said I was devastatingly handsome, which is hardly a statement that most people would agree with, so clearly you don't know what you're talking about where beauty is concerned."

"Touché," she laughs, "but I do think most women would agree that you're devastatingly sexy and seductive."

"I try," he grins, feeling his chest swell with pleasure at the complement. "So speaking of seduction... do you have any plans for today?"

"Plans?" she frowns. "No, it's Sunday. I usually do the cleaning and shopping on Sundays because the rest of the week's so hectic and I get home late most nights. Why?"

"I was going to invite you to spend some time with me," he replies.

"What would we do?" she asks with a smile.

"Whatever you'd like to do," he replies.

"Spend all day in bed?" she suggests with a mischievous grin.

"Not sure I'll be up to that, Ruth," he murmurs, "after all I'm already in my fifties, but I'd be willing to try."

"How about half the day in bed, and half out of it," she suggests. "I know! Let's go see a film."

"Okay, let's do that," he nods and watches her as she smiles, kisses his cheek, and sits up, swinging her legs out of bed. "Where do you think you're going?" he demands with a frown.

She turns her head towards him, raising her eyebrows at him as she replies, "To take a shower."

"Good idea," he grins, swinging his legs out of bed and standing before walking round the bed, stark naked. "I'll join you."

She stands up, letting the sheet she was holding against her body drop back onto the bed and takes a step towards him, murmuring, "And there you were worrying that you wouldn't be able to satisfy me. I see that perhaps you have something other than getting clean planned for our shower together."

"Not true, Ruth," he smiles as he takes her hand and leads her to the bathroom, noting with pleasure the look of admiration that crosses her face when her eyes settle on his groin for several moments. "My plan definitely involves getting you clean. In fact, I doubt you've ever been washed as thoroughly as I'm planning to wash you. My hands... and tongue... are just itching to feel you all over." He winks at her and she laughs, making his heart swell with joy at the sound. Tomorrow, he decides, he's going to get Danny a really, _really_ good birthday present.


End file.
